Apparatus for drawing continuous sheets of glass.



GLASSl No. 887,821. v PATENTED DEG.. 4,1906.

A RFQURUAU'LT. f APPARATUS POR DRAWING CONTINUOUS SHEETS 0F APPLICATION FILED MAYzlflsoa. y

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l E. FOURQAULT. APPARATUS FOR DRAWING CONTINUOUS SHEETS OF GLASS. v I Y AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 21.1906. i

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APPLICATION FILED HAYZl. 1906.

PATENTED DEG 4, 1906.

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B. FOURCAULT. APPARATUS FOR DRAWING CONTINUOUS SHEETS 0F GLASS.

APPLIUATION FILED MIAYZI. 1906.

'PATBNTED DEG. 4, 1906-,

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UNITED sTArns PATENT oFnioE.

EMILE FOURCAULT, LODELINSART, BELGIM.

APPARATUS Foa DnAwiNG com-.mucus SHEETS oF GLASS.

Specication of Letters Patent. Application ned my 21,1906. lserai No. 318,042. l

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

,: Vtinuous sheets of glass.

- tween the heart ,-cantation of the molten glass Inapparatus hitherto known the glass is Vdrawn from a' bath of molten glass communicating directly with the .hearth of the glass- "oven, and in this ap aratus thebath of. molten glass has'not t e same temperature on the-two sides of the drawn sheet, for the reason that the one side of the sheet o f glass opposite to the oint of communication beand the bath is s ub'ected to the radiation heat of the hearthpan thus the heatis unequally distributed and the glass drawn presents -variations in its consistency. In other apparatus. the glass has been drawn from an in ependent tank, re uirin a de-v om t e ur.

i i' .nace to -the lsaid tank, and which-operation level ofthe molten glass in the tank due to an y intermittentvfeedand also for the reason thatv the tank -isfrequently emptied or has the I tical purposes.

i' novel isposition of drawing apparatus 1n;

, permit a number of similar apparatuses to be -has been lfound to -be very prejudicial to the `homogeneou'sness and 'ureness ofthe molten glass to be drawn. T s methodof drawing glass from aninde endent tank cannot'be continuously carrie on, or, in other words,

'a continuous sheet of glass cannot be'drawn fromthetank in view ofthe variationsof vglass lowered to such a level therein as to render the glassto be drawn too stif for pracresent The A inventionhasfor its object a combinatlon with the melting-oven to avoid the disadvantage hereinbefore lnoted and mounted on the same meltmg-oven and to be fed by'fthe same bath of molten glass, the bathof glass remaining constantly at .the same leve In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus embodyinguthe features of the invention and y takenV ough the center of the conduit for feeding themolten glass and forming the sole means of supply for the drawing apparatus. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same.

' Fig. '3 is a transverse section taken through a chamber for rehea'ting the molten glass.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through the drawing apparatus. 1

The glass is melted in an ordinary oven 1 and asses from the oven in a pure, well-rene and homogeneous condition through a conduit 2 into asecond or supply conduit 3, on which the drawing a paratus is disposed. The conduit 3 is divide into compartments constituting alternatel a drawing-chamber 5 and a reheating-cham er 8. The reheatingchambers are rovided with arches at a roper level Wit respect to the molten glass E lhng the conduit 3 and are provided with vertical walls projectin slightly above the up er ortion ofthe sai conduit and having suc t ckness as to render them practicable :to performtheir intended functions. The

compartments 5 are open and the 'compart- `ments -8 closed at their upper extremities.l

The ortions of these compartments which are above the level of the molten lass are absolutely independent of each ot er; but the molten glass canfreely pass at a certain depth from one compartment into the other beneath the arches. A

The heatof the reheating-chambers 8 can only pass between the upper portions 6 ofthe vertical walls of the drawin -chambers The upper portions 6 of the wa ls or the drawingc ambers are heated externally by names produced in burners 7. As will be seen from the drawings, between two reheating-chambers 8 a drawing-chamber 5 vis disposed, and

under such conditions the heat from the reheating-'compartments 8 asses through the upper portions 6 ofthe wa ls ofthe said drawing-chambers and maintains in these latter chambers a constant temperature whichcan be easily regulated.

' The required amount of heat passing in the drawing-chambers is regulated. by the thickness given to 4the upper portions 6 of the =walls of said chambers, as the amount of caloric passing through the walls is in an inverse ratio. to the thickness of these walls.

' -The increased heat produced by the burners 7 will not greatly or materially modify the temperatureof the chambers 5, inview of the interposed upper portions 6 of the walls of IOO y annealed as it is operated upon by the rollers said heating-chambers, and hence the glass does not becometoo Huid to be drawn, but isv maintained at a proper* consistency. Furthermore, in view of the fact that it is only necessary to maintain the glass at a drawing consistency the burners 7 will not bel required to give out an intense heat, and a small amount of fuel only will be'r'equired to keep the burners in properI condition for heating the upper portions 6 of the vertical walls ofthe chambers 5, andthis is particularly true in view ofthe fact that-.the cham-' bers 5 are protectedI against external radiation and cooling by a coating 9 of sand or oi other bad heat-conducting substance, this prevention of surface radiation also operat-.`

ing to overcome any tendency to devitriiication of' the glass inthe cond-uit 3.

On each dirawingechamber 5, in which the sheets of glass are formed and slowly cooled, the drawing and annealing apparatus 1( and 11; are mounted, such apparatus being of aI known construction.

The operation of th'e-apliiaratusy is as fol.'- lows: The molten glass passes fromthe hearth 1 through the conduit 2 into the'con- .duit 3 and inthe latter is maintained at the required temperature by means of the heat from 1the burners 7. The molten glass is thus fed to the drawing apparatus lin a constantly homogeneous state. Floats or blocks v4 are provided at the lower part of' each apparatus, and through the vertical slot of' each the glass i-'s drawn, the block orjiioat coperating eac-h drawing-chamber dipping deeply into the glass in order togtake and iced the glass to be drawn from the lower part oi the conduit 3, in view ofthe fact that the glass in the lower portion of said latterv conduit is thicker than the upper portion'o-il the rollers, and as these rollers-are-'mounted in annealing-c-asings 10 the glass is 'regularly The finished sheet of glass is fed ou-t continuously at the top of the annealing-casing, where-"it is cut with a diamond in desired lengths and inadere-ady for use.

It is. necessary, articularly in starting the apparatus, to regu ate the temperature in the annealing-casings. For this purpose the lower part of each casing is provided with small conduits l2, which may be closed by' means of bricks 13. These conduits 12 permit the heat to pass from the lchambers 8 into the casings 10, and thus the latter can be heated from the same source of heat as the chambers 5A. Y By this means a regularity .of temperature is obtained in the ldrawing apparatus'.. The drawing-chambers 5 can also continuously and are used only for heating the chambers 5 and blocks 4 when the latter parts are too cold after cessation of the operation.

Having thus desea-bada@ invention, what' 1 is claimed as new is` 1. ln'an apparatus for drawing continuous sheets of glass, the combination oi a meltingoven having a hearth, a conduitconnected to the hearth, a second conduit divided into.

chambers and communicating with the first conduit, said chambers alternately forming drawing-chambers and reheating-chambers,

-arches carrying walls separating these cham- -bers and permitting-the molten glass to pass from one chamber -to the other at the lower part beneath the same, and burners in the reeating-chambers for maintaining the required tempera-ture in the apparatus.

2. In an apparatus for drawing continuous sheets oi glass, the combination of a incitingoven having 'a' hearth, a conduit connected to the hearth, a second conduit divided into chambers and communicating with the iirst conduit, said chambers alternately forming drawing-chambers and reheatiiig-cliambers, archescarrying walls separating these chambers and permitting the molten glass to pass from one chamber to the other at the lower art beneath the same, burners' in the reheat-v ing-chambers for maintaining the required temperature in the apparatus, and su plemental burners cooperating with the rawthe combination ofv a melting-oven having a y hearth with a conduit connected thereto, a second conduit communicating with the first 'conduit and divided into chambersto alternately form drawing and relieating chambers, a block or 'float with a slot therethrough disposed in each drawing-chamber, each drawing-chamber having an opening at the top, an

annealing-Casin mounted above each drawing-chamber, ro lers in the annealing-casing for drawing'the glass, heating means foreach drawing-chamber, and conduits having closing mean-s and establishing communication between the heating means for the drawingchambers and the annealing-casing.

4. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a melting-oven having a hearth with a conduit connected to the latter, a second conduit communicating with the irst conduit and divided into chambers to alternately provide drawing and reheatiiig chambers, heating means for the drawing-chambers, and an exterior covering of heating non-conducting material applied to said heating means.

EIO

5:1141 im appa-Iratus of' fhebhravtelf set 1l, 1n tshimhy whereof I have hereunto set foth, z melin'g-oven having a hearth'with a, my hand `i11 presence of two subscribing wit-V' Y* c'ohduit conneted to the latter, a secondconi n'esses z dult commu'nlcatng with the first; conduit 5 apd divideglnto chambrsto alternately pro- 'Witnev-seszv v, n v1de dra.wmg jandreheatng chambers, andv ORTHUR REGN'IERS, `heatlngIrlanss190115139 drafWing-hambers. "LQPOLD BAS'HN. 

